Nigeria Religious Coalition on Artificial Intelligence, NRCA, has called on the government to regulate the use of Artificial intelligence, AI.
The religious leaders pointed out that AI has been provided by God to ease the daily activities of man but added that there are enormous damage when it is left uncontrolled.
According to them, Nigeria and other African countries must be able regulate and determine what come into their space and what is allowed in their technological space.
In partnership with the Christian Council of Nigeria, CCN and Jamaltu Nasril Islam, JNI, the Religious Coalition made this position known during a one-day training on Artificial Intelligence Ethics, designed to equip journalists with practical knowledge on responsible AI use, ethical considerations and emerging digital standards in Abuja on Thursday.
They also believe that religious leaders should a formal say in how artificial intelligence gets regulated.
Speaking, Rt. Rev. Evans Onyemara, General Secretary, Christian Council of Nigeria noted that human beings are made in the image of God, and that apart from human beings, there is no other thing that God has given prominence in creation and said human beings should control every other thing and ensure orderliness in the universe.
“So we believe that human beings should deploy things like the artificial intelligence in the best aspect that will enhance the common good, that will enhance our existence, and not put us into harm or harm’s way. So it is important that the country adopts strategies and regulations that will ensure that the use of AI in the country is regulated.
“We can regulate what we use in Nigeria, and we can also help to co create the kind of AI that we require and need for our use as a nation in Nigeria. Thank you very much. Will you be wrong to say what you’re advocating is that.”
Asked if AI should be used scripturally, the clergy added, “Well, I wouldn’t want you to push me to that philosophy of saying AI should be used scripturally, because what we’re asking is for ethical use. And when we talk about ethics, we are looking at rightness and wrongness of every action.”
Also speaking, Mallam Yusuf Ahmed Bida,Administrative Secretary, Jamaltu Nasril Islam, said noted that there are four essential components to the deployment or usage of AI from the Islamic perspective, which include, “A level sincerity in usage without abusing it or make it become harmful to the community you are using it on. It should not harm you yourself.”
He said that anything that would lead to mistrust in the usage of AI or cause problems must be avoided.
“And you should have a feeling of mercy and accountability. You should know that it is a sort of being merciful by God Almighty to us, so that these things will ease our work. And we should know that we will be accountable. He said that will be accountable on the day of judgment for every act of engagement we do with AI, just as with our lives in terms of regulation.”
He added that the government has to understand the danger associated with the AI, adding, “They should not open up Nigerian space. When I say Nigerian space, Nigerian technological space, to all sort of things, there should be serious check on the part of the government.
“Not everything that should be deployed into Nigerian technology space or science and technology. There should be serious scrutiny. Government must be firm in its decisions on matters of AI. If not, it will be disruptive in the nearer future, just as we have seen in some countries, even the use of AI for researches have been seriously regulated.”
